


Color Me Intrigued

by JustSmileStuffHappens (ksz13)



Series: Eddie Diaz Week 2021 [1]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst with a Happy Ending, Art, Colors, Comfort, Crying, Doubt, Eddie Diaz Week 2020 (9-1-1 TV), Emotions, Family Bonding, Fatherhood, Fear, Feelings, Hiding, Home, Judgment, Love, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Open to Interpretation, Painting, Parenthood, Pining, Secrets, Sharing, Stress Relief, Talking, Therapy, Understanding, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:07:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29818488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ksz13/pseuds/JustSmileStuffHappens
Summary: March 1st - Day 1: “I have no idea what I’m doing.” + fatherhood /March 1st - Day 1: Eddie + colours ->
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Eddie Diaz Week 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2191944
Comments: 3
Kudos: 56





	Color Me Intrigued

**_Color Me Intrigued_ **

It was Chimney who noticed it first really. Only because he caught Eddie changing shirts.

Having three men living in a single flat at most meant for a couple meant that they were practically on top of each other at times really, unpreventably so.

So towards the end of lockdown as things started getting better Eddie had bruises on him. That he couldn't have gotten from work.

They kept up with each other and made sure to identify any injury whether they liked it or not. Rules were rules. Most often it was Buck but small stuff really. And Eddie hadn't said anything.

It was awkward to ask. It wasn't like Eddie could backtrack on the progress he'd made for himself and the fight club was definitely closed with everything else.

He'd just said they had nothing to worry about and it wasn't bad. So they left him be. Trusted him to it. His word.

Eddie was secretive but Buck respected his privacy. As much as he and Chimney could do about it then.

In the next few weeks they were all good, as good as they could be during what was happening. And then Eddie moved out.

Now Buck was visiting Eddie's to bring them a surprise dinner. It doubled as an escape from Chimney, his own place. 

"Hey guys." Buck announced his presence as he came in with the groceries he'd be using tonight.

That's when he heard shuffling and a quiet 'oh no' as something fell with a clatter on the tile.

Eddie's head poked into the hallway of the open entrance way then.

"Buck. Wasn't expecting you." He said, looking surprised.

"Yeah. Umm. Sorry. I can go- I was gonna make you guys food." Buck lifted his bags. He'd done so before, unannounced. 

Eddie laughed breathlessly. "Come in." He looked nervous.

"Are you sure? I don't wanna interrupt- is he in class- homework?" Buck asked, looking at his watch for the time.

It was a little late but possible. Buck heard from Hen and Eddie that virtual could be tricky to do.

"Technically yes. But not-" Eddie nodded for Buck to come over.

Obviously it was easier for him to see it rather than Eddie explaining whatever it was.

He came over to see Christopher painting with their tablet set up for a video or some instructor to speak as Buck heard the instructions aloud now.

"Buck!" Christopher noticed him.

"Hey buddy. Surprise! I wasn't sure if you two had dinner yet."

He'd planned to leave the food for a later meal if they ordered in before he got there to make it.

"We were gonna order in after this video was over." Eddie said, as if in reply.

Buck saw a paintbrush that had splattered on the floor below the table.

"I- I can start on this while you two finish. If that's okay." Buck offered as Eddie looked at him.

"Yeah. That sounds great. Thanks again Buck."

"Thank you Buck!" Christopher said while he concentrated. 

Eddie settled back down to continue their little activity as Buck set about his own task.

They both caught glances of each other when the other wasn't looking back at them.

As the video finished Christopher called Buck's attention over to his painting.

It was a bright mash of beautiful pastel. 

"Looks great bud." He smiled.

Upon looking at Eddie's Buck dropped the spoon he was stirring with out of surprise.

Eddie's looked different from the video demonstration entirely.

He bit his lip as Buck picked up the spoon and went back to work.

"Yours looks good too Eds."

It looked more than good, one of his more fancy exs would probably have plenty to say. 

He heard and saw a bit of Eddie cleaning things up with Christopher behind his back.

Soon the table was clear and set for their almost finished meal.

Buck turned to see Christopher and Eddie in new clothes for bed after discarding their dirty shirts.

Eddie helped him to serve as Christopher told him about it.

His dad had started it while they were still apart from each other.

Buck didn't know this and now thinking back it explained things.

The bruising might have been paint or ink staining Eddie's arm.

And Eddie's private time of course was used for this. It was sweet. A wonderful thing just for the two of them to do together.

And now- Buck may have ruined it unintentionally. He didn't mean to though.

"That's amazing bud. Your dad had a really cool idea, like the ones that he has at work too." Buck nodded, praised

It was something they could do even while apart. A hobby. An activity that wasn't just watching a movie but participating in creating something of their own.

They ate in warm conversation as Christopher complimented Buck's cooking skills, seconded by Eddie. Buck blushed and laughed, shyly looking down.

Soon it was time for bed as Christopher still needed to be rested and on a schedule. 

After Buck joined them for the story and offered his voice, Christopher was tucked in and fast asleep.

Eddie and him came back to the living room where Buck apologized again for coming unexpectedly, and in doing so finding out about their little secret.

"It's not a sec- it's our thing, but I just- don't want other people asking to see what we make." What I make. Eddie couldn't say himself.

He was proud of everything Christopher made, and would hold it up to share with everyone who would listen, all the world. Buck knew that much about Eddie. So the other part was loud and clear to his ears, finely tuned to him.

"I won't tell anyone. Your secret's safe with me. I'm glad I was right before though, we didn't have to worry about you." Buck said as Eddie nudged him gently.

"Thanks. I got the idea from you ya know." Eddie said, confusing him.

"How? I never said anything." Buck shook his head at that.

"I can't remember all of it, but you couldn't sleep either one night and we watched a movie on your laptop until we switched to just watching videos." Eddie explained, Buck getting a little bit of it but not fully yet.

"Oh. That one I feel asleep to." Buck said, understanding dawning upon his face.

Eddie laughed at the memory.

Buck was suddenly drooling besides him as he fought laughing. He'd looked-

The next morning he'd told Buck and they laughed waking Chim.

"Why- don't you want people- to-?" Buck's question died on his lips.

Eddie was silent besides him. 

Buck was about to apologize to him. 

It was just a 'sorry' kinda night apparently for him. 

"I- I just don't know what I'm doing. It's just for fun. I don't want to be-" judged. For his work to be scrutinized, analyzed.

"Well I think it's cool. I had an art appreciation course before I dropped out of college. Think my professor would say some nice things about it." Buck shrugged.

Eddie eyed him as he said it. Skeptically, until that look faded away. 

"And- it's- I wish my parents had done something like that with me and Maddie. If this is your thing with Chris, then doing it and what you make is automatically pretty freaking awesome to me. But I'm kinda biased though." Buck smirked and laughed. "I might have technically failed that class but even I know there isn't a wrong way to art." Buck reassured Eddie as best he could, in a way that he really did best for him. 

"Do- you- wanna see them?" Eddie asked, fear and hope tangled together.

"It would be an honor if you wanted to let me see them Eds."

Eddie let out a breath and got up. "Stay right here."

Buck heard him move to the hallway closet and quietly open it before shuffling stuff around.

He returned with a few canvas of varying sizes hidden, facing away from Buck's gaze, for now at least.

"I want you to be honest."

And Buck felt like this could end bad. If it weren't them.

"I will be. I promise." He nodded.

Eddie turned over the first to show some vast forest with deeper shades of green in it.

Buck smiled and nodded.

"I may not have passed that class but I didn't need to in order to know this is good." Buck told Eddie.

Then he showed him more. 

Some weren't other places but just things or indescribable for Buck. 

All of them were uniquely Eddie.

At the last one Eddie looked to contemplate not showing it.

If he chose not to, Buck wouldn't ask him to see it until he said he could. Until Eddie decided to show him it. 

He flipped it and looked at Buck like the canvas was a question.

There was a lot going on. It had bright reddish orange on one side coming up from a corner. 

The other was maybe the blue of the sky or ocean. Calm. He didn't know.

The contrast was strong in it.

"Are you- is it that bad?" Eddie asked, looking at Buck's face, his eyes. 

Buck looked puzzled by his words until realizing that he was crying. Buck was crying.

He touched his cheek.

"Oh." He said to them both.

Eddie looked prepared for the worst possible reply from Buck's mouth.

"No. It's- I like it. But I don't know what it is exactly? It could be a lot of things to me. Maybe that makes me like it a little more." Buck offered and tilted his head.

It could be interpreted differently. It could be many things all at once too.

Was it fire? Or the sun. Or just a feeling of warmth. Light. Happiness.

"I just painted what I felt like making. It turned out like this."

Eddie told him, truthfully.

He didn't mention what he was thinking about during that one. Who he was-

Please don't ask me to explain it.

"Can you- tell me what it is?" Buck asked, unsure himself.

"I- uh. I was thinking of Christopher-" and you. You too, Buck. 

"Oh. Wow. That's- Eddie." Buck's smile grew even wider then.

Like it had been back at his place, when they were relaxing.

When he knew Chris was safe and he could enjoy the moment. However few of those he got at times.

"You love him so much Eddie. And it shows." Buck told him. Admired it.

He told him, unknowing of the additional implications of his words towards Eddie's creation.

"I- yeah," Eddie said. "God, I love him more than anything," 'I love you too Buck' went unsaid behind that though.

"You two could keep it up after all of this. It- it sounds like it helps and you both enjoy it." Buck suggested to Eddie. 

Christopher sounded so excited to talk about it to him and show him his own painting himself. It being something he did with his dad made it all the better.

Buck resisted touching the painting before him. As if he could understand via osmosis.

Eddie caught his hesitant hand motion.

"I should-" Buck sighed. "Go."

"You don't have to." Eddie offered.

"I-"

Buck thought of his appointment he had tomorrow. He didn't even have his bag or tablet on him.

"-I have something to do tomorrow, before work." Buck told Eddie, regrettably. 

Eddie saw the look of remorse on Buck's face at the words.

"Okay. Be careful going back."

Buck wanted to believe that Eddie hadn't said 'going home' for a reason but- 

"I will- Tell you how bad Chimney messed up the place as payback for when I crashed at his before." Buck joked, an attempt to lighten the mood that wasn't half bad.

"He wouldn't." He raised an eyebrow teasingly. "Much."

Buck laughed with him.

"Bye, Eddie. See you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Buck."

Eddie watched him go as he held the painting still. Was left with his creation, his emotions made whole.

It was like he had a copy and it couldn't compare to him.

He thought about giving it to Buck. Would he hang it? How would he explain it to others?

Eddie moved to catch a glimpse of Christopher's sleeping form.

As he lay in his own bed he thought of the two boys that meant so much to him. 

How easily Buck slotted into their lives, made them happy.

The image of Christopher talking eagerly to Buck about their father and son pass time was the last thing he thought of before falling asleep himself.

Buck had helped him without even knowing. Eddie took it from there.

Christopher couldn't be happier with the outcome. He knew that.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
